


Salmon

by mousaerato



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Awkwardness, Dry Humping, F/M, Flushed Romance | Matesprits, Massage, Pale Romance | Moirallegiance, Quadrant Confusion, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 22:08:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/602604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mousaerato/pseuds/mousaerato
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Understanding the subtle differences between red and pale romance can be difficult. Especially when you're six sweeps old.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salmon

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry in advance. This is my headcanon and nobody can take it away from me.

\-- cuttlefishCuller [CC] began trolling caligulasAquarium [CA] --

CC: UG)(!!!  
CA: oh hey fef  
CA: wwhats up  
CC: The SAM-E t)(ing it always is!  
CA: your lusus im guessin  
CC: I can’t glubbing TAK-E IT anymore!  
CC: It’s always KRILL T)(IS, CULL T)(AT, K-E-EP H-ER QUI-ET!  
CC: I don’t want to do all t)(is! It’s CRU-EL! )(ow many trolls )(ave ended up orp)(ans?  
CA: wwell youvve got me helpin you  
CA: you knoww that right  
CC: Whale, S)(OR-E I do! T)(e t)(ing is, -Eridan, s)(e’s still my responsibility and no one else’s! It’s on M-E, not you.  
CC: I am so glubbing SICK of it!   
CA: fef  
CC: Sometimes, I t)(ink it mig)(t be better to let her just SP-EAK THE VAST GLUB ALR-EADY!!!!  
CA: wwhoa FEF  
CC: W)(AT?! AT L-EAST T)(-EN, I’D B-E OFF T)(-E )(OOK!  
CA: you started trollin me for a reason  
CA: i knoww youre stressed out  
CC: ...  
CA: and look i understand wantin to bring about the end a the wworld  
CA: i really do an you gotta trust me on that   
CA: but if nothin else i dont wwant YOU dead  
CA: youre ovverwwhelmed an i get it  
CC: T)(e -Empress is just glubbing FIN-E wit)( destruction, so w)(y can’t I be too?  
CA: youre not talkin genocide right now  
CA: youre talkin outright obliteration and suicide here  
CC: I AM NOT!  
CA: yes you are  
CA: if you didnt wwant someone to calm you dowwn you wwouldntvve contacted your moirail  
CA: am i wwrong  
CC: ...No, no you’re not. 38(  
CC: -Eridan, I’m so tired...  
CC: It’s too muc)(!  
CA: its okay  
CA: look howw about you come ovver here  
CA: get awway from your hivve for a bit  
CC: ...Are you s)(ore that won’t be an inconvenience?  
CA: fuck no im doin a pale and right royal duty  
CA: its a privvilege  
CC: 38’)  
CA: wwell get you fixed up right as fuckin rain i promise  
CC: T)(ank you so much. S)(ould I come over now?  
CA: hurry up i dont wwant you changin your mind and doin somethin ludicrous  
CC: Okay t)(en! Sea you soon!

\-- cuttlefishCuller [CC] ceased trolling caligulasAquarium [CA] \--

      Feferi arrived at Eridan’s hive with haste, swimming more forcibly than she had in at least two sweeps. She was overwrought, frustrated, ready and willing to use anything as an outlet for her fury, even if deep down she knew it was misplaced. Being responsible for Gl’bgolyb was an onerous burden, one which on occasion left the young heiress drained – or worse, despondent. While her species was trained to accept death and cruelty from the very beginning, it certainly didn’t mean that Feferi accepted it with joy or delight by any stretch of the imagination. She understood better than most that keeping her mammoth lusus sated was for the benefit of all of Alternia, but its high costs often made the fuchsia-blood wish she were regent instead. Maybe then, she could change her world and ameliorate her conscience.

       Eridan opened the door as soon as Feferi brought a slender, gray hand to the door; he had been waiting anxiously for her arrival. Her steel-toned eyes went wide behind her goggles in shock at her moirail’s attentiveness. Eridan looked at her and thankfully was able to hide with a tight-lipped kind of smile how beautiful he found her, even in her disheveled state. Her hair, soaked jet-black locks that fell now to her knees, had begun to curl and frizz at the ends and at the crown of her head. Her skirt clung to her curvy and strong legs, giving Eridan a view of her thighs more than what she would usually reveal as droplets ran from the hems of the cyan and seafoam fabric to soak into her fuchsia shoes. Likewise, her black top clung to her frame, and while it gave nothing indecent away, it unintentionally gave her moirail a clearer view of the likewise soft and inviting curves of her petite frame. He swept her up under his violet cape, bringing an arm around her shoulder, shooing her in. “Come in, come in,” he urged in a whisper, “I’m so glad you’re here...”

      Feferi’s footsteps made crude squishing noises as her weight squeezed water out of her shoes. She stopped in the center of Eridan’s hive, humiliated; her host said nothing, opting to take the cape off of his back and wrap her in it where she stood. He delicately and gingerly rubbed the material at her shoulders and at her hair, enjoying the indirect sensation of his skin on hers. And helping her to dry off, of course.

      “T-thanks,” she finally offered, voice small and soft. Finally being out of the ocean and in the presence of someone she knew cared about her helped Feferi ease up. She was exhausted physically as well as mentally at that point.

      Eridan offered her a hug which she happily accepted, bringing her arms around his neck and nuzzling her head against his chest to enjoy his warmth. Eridan let his hands come to the middle of her back, making sure that the violet fabric he gave her never fell from her. In her current state, she was so fragile, and Eridan couldn’t help himself from wanting to take care of her, even if physically he didn’t seem capable. Feferi was all alluring curves and strong legs underneath an adorable layer of fat; Eridan on the other hand was naturally thin, lanky - bony, even. Still, he was taller, and in their respective states, much more _capable_ than she was.

      “It’s hard, Fef - growin’ up with that lusus,” he murmured into her hair. “It’s hard, but I understand.” Feferi wiped her face against his shirt and shivered. “Let me get you something t’drink, okay?”

      Feferi left his embrace as he gestured for her to make herself comfortable. As he left to retrieve a warm beverage, Feferi opted so sit in Eridan’s computer chair to gaze through his ship-hive’s window to the ocean. It was ubiquitous, consuming the young royal’s vision in waves of foaming blues and indigos; at the same time, home had never felt so far away. From the surface, everything looked calm and beautiful – intelligible. She knew, however, that underneath its surface were things darker, insidious, overwhelming, manipulative. She loved the chaos and beauty of the creatures of the deep, yes, but even she needed a moment at times to _breathe_.

      Before she knew it, the warm vapors of a drink infused with honey and citrus wafted under her nostrils, making her goggles fog up slightly. Her hands – practically entirely tyrian with how cold she had been from the swim – suddenly felt hot as Eridan slowly handed her a violet mug. She turned to look at Eridan, his face warmer than she’d ever seen him before.

      “Did I interrupt anything, princess?”

      “Oh! No, not really...”

      He knew her better than that. “Still thinkin’ ‘bout home?”

      “Yeah.” Feferi took a long but dignified sip of Eridan’s home-brewed handiwork. “I can’t stop wondering, ‘Is she full? Should I go back? Was that last lusus enough?’”

      “You’re gonna be such a great ruler,” Eridan offered assuredly.

      “If I can’t handle one monster’s needs, what makes you think I can rule Alternia?”

      “Y’care, Peixes,” he replied softly as he pulled another chair up to sit beside her, noticeably holding a fluffy, grandiose robe he clearly procured for her. “We’re only six sweeps and you understand how serious this all is. The greatest a’ leaders in history were _made_ over time, Fef. When your day comes, you’re gonna make this place amazin’, I promise.”

      He hoped to himself that one of her first acts would be to drown the planet, but he never told her that. Regardless, he meant every word.

      “Thank you...” Feferi’s voice was tinged still with concern and remorse; Eridan couldn’t stand it.

      “She’s fine, y’know. Y’take good care of her, even if you don’t really want to...”

      “She’s a wonderful custodian, she really is! But...”

      “You don’t like doin’ Alternia’s version a’ cullin’.”

      “Exactly,” she sighed with relief. Eridan knew exactly what to say in her time of despair.

      “I got somethin’ else for you,” Eridan offered, voice calm and even as he let a hand gently tug away at the cape still poured over her shoulders. He tried to place the new, dry, fluffy robe on her, but Feferi gestured very quickly with her hand for him to stop.

      “What’s wrong?” Eridan asked.

      Feferi tried to find the right words, hoping he wouldn’t misconstrue them. “My clothes are still--”

      “Oh,” he replied, realizing that even with the robe, she was still in soaked fabrics. He felt his face get hot, and he averted his glance as he made the offer. “If you’re comfortable, of course...you can change into this in the other room.”

      “Are you _shore_ that’s okay with you?” She might have been an empress in training, able to make the rules as she saw fit, but she was still _polite_ and considerate, at least.

      “Oh- yeah, yeah. Heck, go ahead and put on some a’ my garb if y’want,” he teased, hoping to himself that she’d pick otherwise for a brief moment. “Whatever makes you feel better.”

      Feferi finished the last bit of the hot drink and nodded as she took the robe from her host, excusing herself away from his gaze. Still, she did a double-take to check if Eridan was looking before she did anything else. He was the perfect gentleman: he had moved his chair to the far end of his computer room, staring blankly through another window so far away from her that there was no way he could watch her. Some lesser trolls may have taken advantage, even if Feferi could easily have had them culled upon being caught.

      She shimmied out of her skirt, feeling a chill hit her clammy body yet again. This time, however, it was liberating; taking off the colorful and imperial garb that signified her caste and role was a relief, not unlike the comfort she felt when her moirail opened the door and brought her into his abode. Just as it hit the floor, she removed her top, leaving her entirely bare save for her fuchsia shoes. Finally, she removed her goggles and put on the dry, warm robe Eridan had provided her – not putting on anything else - and stepped back out into the room where he waited, still staring vacantly into the ocean as if he had forgotten she was even there.

      He turned to greet her upon hearing that familiar squeak and squish of damp shoes, surprised to see her looking so...at ease, even if she was still not entirely herself. He had never seen Feferi without her goggles; the shape of her face pleased him even more without them. The soft and fuzzy fabric suited her as she practically drowned in how large the robe was on her. Eridan felt a small surge of possessiveness seeing his “moirail” in his colors and nothing more – until he remembered her shoes.

      He rose to greet her, offering her again his old seat. “Sit down, Fef.” She complied lazily while he stood in front of her, bringing his hands to her shoulders to assure her. “It’s gonna be fine. I told ya we’re gonna get you right as rain. Did the tea and clothes help?”

      She hummed happily in response. “It’s so nice not _being there_.” Every syllable was heaved out of her in a heavy, alleviated exhale. “I’m worried about when I go back, though.”

      Eridan rubbed at her shoulders, earning him a relieved sigh. “You’re doin’ just fine...shhh.”

      “How many custodians are we going to have to cull next time-”

      “Shh,” he murmured again, kneading at the tension in her neck and around her shoulder blades. “Don’t worry about it right now. Breathe.”

      Their eyes met, Feferi’s looking up into Eridan’s, and both of them seemed at that moment to realize exactly how intimate and... _pale_ the entire scene was. Her face was still strained with stress, mouth taut and tense with her stature completely rigid. Eridan pitied her in that state; she didn’t deserve that kind of worry. Likewise, Feferi felt a kind of appreciation for her moirail that she never had before. Maybe it was the physical contact. Maybe it was the amount of consideration he had taken for her sake. Either way, she enjoyed the touch of his hands and the sound of his voice – they were placating.

      Feeling suddenly confident, Eridan spoke, making an offer that sounded a little more like a certainty. “We should get you out of those shoes, Empress.” He offered he a sly, playful smirk as he got down on his knees in front of her.

      “Eridan,” she laughed, “I’m not an _empress_ yet!”

      “Shh,” he retorted, “Told you great leaders take years of raisin’...don’t feel bad about getting the benefits as well as the burdens.”

      He daintily removed her fuchsia shoes, looking up at her as he began to tickle the soles of her feet. Feferi twitched and even _snorted_ a little before Eridan redoubled his efforts, pleased to see the grimace on her face turn into a bright grin punctuated with uncontrollable giggles.

      “Er-i-dan,” she huffed enthusiastically, “I – ah! – _st-haha-op!_ ” Her voice was melodious and cheerful despite her request for him to cease. He hummed, pleased with himself, and sighed, “As you wish.”

      “Thank yo- _oh..._ ”

      Eridan had begun kneading and massaging at the bottoms of the Witch’s feet, earning him a deep, breathy sigh and the cracking of toes for his ministrations. He worked his thumbs in circles, applying just enough pressure to soothe the aching parts of her feet. She really did do too much, Eridan thought.

      Feferi felt undone by the considerate gesture, sucking in air and shivering in spite of herself. He was humbling himself for her sake, she thought – how kind and how pale he must feel for her. As he worked upward from her feet to her ankles, Eridan looked up at Feferi unflinchingly, watching for her reactions. She had begun to slouch, head falling back the smallest bit, giving him a view of something...stunning.

      Eridan, in all his experiences alone and in his former kismissitude, knew himself not to exhibit much of a blush for any reason. Feferi, on the other hand, was utterly flustered a vibrant shade of fuchsia all across her cheeks, down her neck, and to the bit of her collar bones he could make out from the plush violet fabric. _Flushed_ for him, as it were.

      “Feelin’ better?” Eridan asked, voice giving away a little of his own nervousness. He was aware that her reactions were indicating something...much _redder_ than what she would probably normally be okay with. This was his first moirallegiance, his first pale experience – hers too. Maybe this was simply how it worked? No, this...this was something else, and he knew it. He pushed that fact down, rationalizing that if Feferi was comfortable with it, then there was truly no issue. If she was no longer a threat – if she was happy – then he was doing his job. And, of course, if that job just so happened happened to have some other personal benefits that fit his truest desires, well...Eridan saw no reason to reject them.

      He realized his hands had finally reached at her thighs and rubbed cautiously, looking at his palemate to see if she was enjoying it, if she was relaxed, if he was doing this right, if she wanted more. A small pang of guilt mixed with arousal shot through his spine as he inched his hands higher up her thighs and realized, stunned, that she had rejected his offer to wear his clothes.

      She was completely bare under his hands.

      “Yeah,” she replied, voice a quivering, breathy whine. She had never had anyone touch her that way, and with the innumerable responsibilities she juggled taking care of Gl’bgolyb she had scarcely any time to herself. Even though she was well aware of her own wants and what felt good, having someone else do it was...enthralling. Every rub, every skim, every bit of warm pressure from his hands sent chills and jolts down her spine that made her manage – finally – to turn her brain _off._ No cares, no responsibilities, just pleasant sensations to her skin that made her blood rush and pound.

      When Eridan pulled back nervously, Feferi instinctively grabbed his hands without a second thought and placed them to clasp at her sides. The Prince couldn’t believe what had just happened. No, she wasn’t upset; she wasn’t unsettled or even offended by what he saw as _blatantly, brazenly scarlet_. She wanted him to do _more_ , and he happily seized the opportunity. Rising back to both feet, he continued where she had put him, carefully listening for every sigh, hoping to feel her shiver and shake into his skin as he worked upwards.

      He didn’t dare touch her breasts – that would be too overt, even if she whined and huffed when his hands hovered over them and sadly ultimately skipped giving them any attention. He finally settled at her shoulders, gently working through the knots and tension in them, and as he did, Feferi boldly wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed him into her, her legs still on either side of him. Eridan failed to hold back his shock and gasped, biting his lower lip as his arousal grazed and rubbed against her bare thigh.

      “T-this okay?” Eridan stammered. Feferi’s mouth pressed against his collarbone as she nodded and hummed in approval while cautiously, perhaps unconsciously, letting one leg hook and snake around one of Eridan’s to pull him closer. There was no way she couldn’t feel what was happening to him – did she care? Is that...what she wanted, possibly? Either way, Eridan saw no reason to ruin a good thing. He continued rubbing into her back, letting his fingers play in the damp black ringlets that danced and cascaded down it. She really was beautiful inside and out – no pathetic, petty commoners deserved someone like her, Eridan thought.

      Eridan heard a squeak and felt his weight shift forward. Feferi had laid back a little further, pulling him forward and down with her, the two of them ultimately pressed flush to each other with his groin now aligned with hers. She wanted to feel his warmth, wanted to let the inviting feeling of relaxation take its course – even if it meant a little change in direction in the process. It was wonderful in her eyes what was happening, what he was doing. Moirallegiance was a difficult quadrant to understand, yes, but she felt like maybe, just maybe, they were doing it right. Even though a foreboding, dark feeling tugged at her stomach, she chocked it up to nervousness and inexperience. They were both happy in the moment, both blissfully content; there was no reason to feel that uncertainty to her. Still, Eridan pulled away the slightest bit as she fluttered her eyes open to see his face: tense, strained, and giving away the smallest hint of _violet_.

      When Feferi’s palm skimmed against Eridan’s pinstriped jeans, she felt the very beginning – or end, she guessed – of something hot and hard, similar to the pressure she had felt bearing against her a moment before. He sighed and almost squeaked when he spoke: “Fef...”

      “You’re the one who’s...not calm now,” she replied, seeing in his face a kind of determination, nervousness in his eyes. She could discern a kind of aggression bubbling underneath, though she wasn’t quite sure from what. He seemed to relax, in a way, when she squeezed at him through his pants, so she continued.

      “Oh _God,_ ” Eridan managed to spit out. His voice was dripping with _desperation._

She rubbed along the length and listened to him hiss and shake needily. He could barely form words at that point. “It’s what we’re supposed to do, right? I can’t just - it can’t be one-sided, right?”

      “Y-yeah, I guess...” Eridan wondered if they were both on the same page about what this was and what it meant, if she too was obfuscating a different inclination. How could she not, he asked himself as his eyes slammed shut from waves of pleasure coursing through him, enough to make his skin tingle. Regardless, Eridan Ampora wasn’t one to discard a good opportunity. Looking down at her still-flushed fuchsia face, Eridan let himself be guided back to the same position they were in before when Feferi leaned back. Slowly, nervously, he thrust against her, earning a shrill but choked noise from his matespr- moriail.

      “It’s-it’s good Eridan, it’s okay,” Feferi whispered as she brought her hands to his hips to help him. “Do more, please...”

      “...be my fuckin’ pleasure,” he huffed out with a bite to his voice. He grabbed roughly at her hair and picked up his pace, hips gyrating and snapping to enjoy every bit of tantalizing, indirect contact he could rouse up and relish from her, with her. Feferi let her legs pull him in again, sighing and squeaking out as she dragged blunt nails against his black shirt.

      What Eridan lacked in blushing, he more than made up for in _talking._ His head hovered centimeters from Feferi’s face, breath tickling her neck as he went from distinguished nobility to a _sailor_ with each movement and thrust: “ _Fuck_ , Fef...y’feel so goddamn good...you have – hnnh – no idea...”

      “Eridan...” her voice was small, swallowed up in his grunts and pants; she too was overwhelmed by the experience, however.

      “You’re just—so fuckin’ good, you know...God, damn...I swear I’ll never let y’feel like you did before...just, lemme make you feel like this, _fuck_...” He was doing exactly what he had dreamed of, feeling exactly what he had wanted for such a long time – he couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, overflowing before he could temper them.

      She could only whimper, but encouraged his movements by tugging at him. “Do you – mmm – feel calmer?”

      “Yeah,” he said as his movements became more erratic. “Fef--”

      Feferi’s toes cracked as she curled them and wrapped her legs around him tighter. Everything – the violet robe, the bits of Eridan’s skin she could manage to touch, even the parts of him still covered – felt oppressively hot. She brought a hand to weave into Eridan’s hair, tugging the smallest bit at the back to bring his face close to hers. They struggled to keep their eyes open to look at each other, faces glazed in soft drips of sweat, eyes dark, and mouths open as they panted and sighed together, practically exhaling into each other.

      The scene was aggressive, firery; they moved together like the pieces of a great beast of the sea, pushing back and forth, practically stirring and churning the world around them together in a noisy, strange, corporeal maelstrom.

      Then without warning, everything was suddenly still. With a pleased shriek from Feferi, both she and Eridan stopped, bodies twitching and shaking, holding each other for dear life as the waves and tremors worked their way through their bodies. It was at that point that both of them knew exactly what they had experienced with each other. Both of them were quiet, blissfully empty, and spent, with Eridan making a great effort not to press his entire weight into her as his knees nearly gave out.

      She held him then, helping him to shift in a way that wouldn’t hurt. Eventually, he ended up back on his knees, head resting on her stomach where she stroked at his hair quietly. Eridan was glad for it – he could feel that his pants were stained, much to his dismay. Although he did feel _something_ on the violet material Feferi had cocooned herself in as well – and he was fairly certain that something was fuchsia.

      “I love you,” Eridan managed in a low, husky, weak whisper.

      “What did you say?” She didn’t hear him over the blood pumping in her ears.

      “...said I know you, Fef,” he lied. “I feel like I really...I know how to do this now...”

      “M-me too,” Feferi replied softly. She still wasn’t sure if what had happened was what moirails did for each other. Certainly, they were both calmer, both no longer a threat to anyone – why did she even freak out earlier to begin with? “Are you okay with thi-”

      “If this is what y’need Fef, of course,” Eridan said, cutting her off. “We can do this. Told you it’s a privilege.” He wasn’t about to let _this_ slip though his fingers.

      Feferi hummed happily and tugged at Eridan so he would know to move. He straightened up his posture enough that they were equal, and Feferi embraced him lightly.

      “You’re such a good moirail, Eridan...”

      “Likewise,” he whispered.

      They both felt so interconnected, so pleased and happy. While Feferi maybe, just maybe had the inkling that what had transpired was rather _intimate,_ she was okay with it. After all, calming each other down was simply what those in the pale quadrant did. If that was what worked for them, why question it?

      Eridan, on the other hand, assumed she was just as flushed for him as her lovely face had been moments earlier. He resolved to enjoy it for what it was, and once the right opportunity arrived, he would make his move to a matespritship with her. There was no way she wouldn’t reciprocate.

      Maybe the game they were supposed to play soon would be a good opportunity. 


End file.
